Fluid drip dispenser



Oct. 25, 1938. F. w. STORCK FLUID DRIP DISPENSER Filed Feb. 17, 1936Patented Oct. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES.

' 2.134.214 v FLUID DRIP DISPENSER Frederick W. Storck, Arlington, Mass,assignor to Standard Mailing Machines Company, Everett, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Application February 17, 1936, Serial No.64,214

6 Claims.

This invention relates to fluid dispensers and more particularly to adispenser for automatically dripping the fluid at a desired rate of dripdischarge or interval sequence.

. In many instances the use of such apparatus requires a measuredinterval of drip discharge for a specific purpose, such as that requiredof a lubricant to properly lubricate a bearing,and in another instance,the replenishment of a fluid. in a direct proportion to consumptiomsuchas is exemplified by the usual type of stamp afiixing and mailingmachines wherein each stamp .or piece of mail matter requires theapplication of a predetermined amount of moisture.

To accomplish these objectives, heretofore fluid reservoirs have beenprovided with various types'of control valves capable of manualadjustment to regulate the discharge from. a reservoir as is well knownto those skilled in the art.

To control the .drip discharge from a reservoir to a very limited numberof drips. in a given interval of time requires closely restricted"apertures which, due to the characteristics of many fluids, becomeobstructed and clogged and thus fail to function in an intended manner.Fluid controls of the aforementioned character require frequentattention and clearing of the restricted apertures so that they mayfunction properly.

For example, it is well known that when water is contained within ordischarged through a conduit having small restricted openings, thebacteria, such as are usually found-in most waters, will adhere to thesurface of the conduit and eventually build up and obstruct thefpassage.Again, many petroleum products, principally utilized as lubricatingoils, have characteristics which do not readily lend themselvesto closevalve adjustments or restricted apertures such as required to limit thedrips to a small number in a given interval of time.

Accordingly, one of the objects of my present invention is to provide anautomatic fluid drip dispenser wherein the sequence of drip interval maybe controlled without the use of the usual 3 regulating valvesvorextremely small or restricted discharge openings.

Another object of my invention is to provide my fluid drip dispenserwith a discharge conduit of a sufiicient size to permit the fluid toreadily discharge therethrough' and whereby each drip discharged willcause a flushing action by the fluid in the conduit.' a

A further object of my invention is to provide an automatic fluid dripdispenser of a simple and efiicient construction that maybe readilyadjusted to vary the interval sequence of the drips.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention comprises a novelcombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and morespecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrateda preferredform of myinvention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to understandthe construction andv operation thereof.

Referring to the'drawing: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my fluid dripdispenser and replenishment reservoir..

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my dispenser .as illustrated at Fig. 1, "butwith the replenishment reservoir omitted.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4, Fig. 2,and

Fig. 5 is an end elevationof the outer end of wall b adaptedto form asupporting chamber for the dispenser base l4.

The dispenser base' Membodiesa chamber I5 having an opening l6 which isadapted to closely engage the depending discharge conduit ll of a fluidsup-ply reservoir Hi. This base I4 is provided' with a discharge conduitl'9 which is positioned adjacent the bottom of the chamber l5 andextends outwardly therefrom. My illustrated discharge conduit l9terminates in a flange portion I9a which has a notch l9b formed in itsouter face for the purpose of concentrating and directing the dischargefromthe conduit l9, although this same effect may be accomplished byproviding the conduit opening with a depending pointed portion; i

Positioned above the discharge conduit l9 and" communicating with thechamber I5 is an air vent opening 20 which, in this instance,communicates with an air conduit 20a disposed in the wall of the base M.It is desirable to position the end of the air vent conduit 200, so thatit is open'tothe atmosphere above the air inlet and in my preferred formI have positioned this conduit 20a at'substantiallyright angles to theconduit opening 20' which communicates with the chamber-:" IS 'I'hisarrangement-prevents in the desired manner when positioned substantiallyin a horizontal plane above the discharge conduit l9.

In the above described device the discharge conduit opening and chamberair vent opening 2B establish a hypothetical horizontal plane and i thefluid contained in the chamber l5, below this plane, may be describedassubject to atmospheric pressure, and the fluid above this plane,including the replenishment supply, may be de-' scribed as air-locked.This so-called hypothetical horizontal plane may be conveniently termeda neutral atmospheric pressure plane, as, when the discharge conduitopening and chamber'air vent 20 are'positioned relative to or in thisplane, fluid discharge from the device is withheld.

Inthe operation of my device the replenishment reservoir 18 is filledwith fluid and its discharge conduit inserted into and incloseengagement in the open end l6 of the chamber 15. The assembling of thereservoir l8 and base I4 is preferably accomplished with the base l4removed and the reservoir discharge conduit I! held in an uprightposition. While, as stated, this is preferable, it is not necessarilyessential as it is obvious-that the base I may be in a fixed positionand the filler reservoir discharge conduit inserted into its position.

When the reservoir l8 andbase M are in operative position, as shown inthe drawing, and the discharge conduit 19 is elevated in the directionof arrow a, Fig. 1, the discharge opening of the conduit will eventuallybe moved to the neutral atmospheric or complete air-locking plane withthegair vent opening and the fluid within the chamber l5 will not.discharge therefrom. As the discharge opening of the conduit is moveddownwardly in the direction of arrow b, Fig. 1, relative to the air vent20, and below the so-called neutral atmospheric pressure plane, thefluid is discharged in drip formation in a directfrelation to theangular'positioning of the conduit l9 and the lowering of the dischargeopening thereof. This relative angular positioning of the conduit l9 andits discharge opening for a given interval of drip discharge isdependent upon the viscosity of the fluid used. A greater or lesserangular positioning of the discharge conduit l9 relative to the air ventis required in a direct relation to the'viscosity of the fluid beingdispensed.

For example, in tests with water, I have found that, with a dischargeconduit opening of .0935" andan air vent opening'of .1875" spacedapproximately .343'7", center to center, above the conduit, the dripdischarge will have substantially a minimum interval between drips whenthe conduit I9 is positioned in a substantially horizontal plane. As theconduit is elevated in the direction of arrow a, Fig. 1, above thehorizontal plane, the spaceinterval between drips is increased in adirect relation to the elevated position of the conduit, and'when thedischarge opening of the conduit is elevated up to substantially'theplane of. the air vent, the fluid will cease to discharge as aforesaid.Conversely, as the conduit angle is lowered in the direction of arrow b,Fig; 1,. and depends below the horizontal plane, the drip discharge isincreased to What might be termed a drip stream, that is, with nointerval or space between the drips.

The above proportions are given merely as illustrative and not aslimiting my invention the base, although the air vent 20 will functionthereto as it is obvious that these proportions and relationships may bevaried for specific conditions as stated. without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A variable drip dispenser for fluids comprising a chamber, a normallyair-locked fluid supply for said chamber, an air vent in said chamber, adischarge outlet from said chamber and separate from said air vent, saidair vent being located at a higher level than said discharge outlet andmeans for varying the eifective pressure head to control the rate ofdischarge from the outlet,

' 2. A variable automatic drip dispenser for j fluids comprising areservoir having a depending discharge conduit, a chamber adapted toreceive ,said conduit, a second discharge conduit communicatingiwithsaid chamber, an air vent communicating with said chamber between saidfirst and second discharge conduits and separate from said dischargeconduits, and manually adjustable means for varying the effectivepressure head whereby the interval of drip discharge from the chamber iscontrolled.

3. An'automatic drip dispenser for fluids comprising a fluid chamberadapted to receive a volume of fluid, an air vent for said chamber, abarometrically controlled replenishment supply for said chamber,ahorizontal discharge c0n'' duit separate from said air vent andcommunieating with said chamber, means for angularly disposing saiddischarge above the horizontal and means for varying the angularitythereof to control the drip discharge therefrom.

4. An automatic drip dispenser for fluids comprising an air-locked fluidreservoir, an air vent in the lower portion of said reservoir, said airvent being so formed that its opening to the atmosphere is disposedsubstantially above its communicating opening with said reservoir, adischarge conduit disposed below the communicating opening of said air'vent and communicating with the fluid in said reservoir, and means forvarying the effective pressure head to control the rate of dripdischarge.

5. A- drip dispenser for fluids comprising a barometric fluid supply, achamber disposed substantially below said supply, an air ventcommunicating with said chamber, a substantially horizontal dischargeconduit separate from said air vent and communicating with said chamber,said conduit being substantially of a size that the fluid would normallyflow therethrough, with adjustable means adapted to angularly positionsaid conduit above the horizontal and whereby the angular position ofsaid conduit regulates the discharge from said chamber and supply.

6. A drip dispenser for fluid-comprising a pivoted horizontal bracketcarrying a socket provided with a' discharge spout, a receptacle fittingwithin said socket and having a discharge'opening therein adjacent thebottom thereof registering with said spout and being provided with aventcommunicating with the interior thereof at a point above saiddischarge opening, a supply reservoir having a neck fitting within saidreceptacle" and being normally airlocked, and

meansfor'adjusting the angularity of said brack-

